It was hard not to come away impressed from Shedeur Sanders' preseason debut for the Cleveland Browns on Friday night. He was fully in command of the offense and made some eye-opening throws. He finished the game 14-of-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
His performance came mostly against second and third-stringers for the Panthers, who removed their starters after the game's first two drives, but Sanders flashed the potential that made many believe he was a first-round talent. He certainly looked well beyond that of a fifth-round pick.
There's been a lot of praise for the former Colorado legend in the aftermath of his preseason debut. No praise probably means more to him than the praise of his teammates, however. Following Monday's practice, Browns Pro Bowl WR Jerry Jeudy was complimentary of his rookie QB.
Jerry Jeudy praises Shedeur Sanders for his preseason debut
"He did a great job the other night," Jeudy told reporters about Sanders. "He's constantly growing each and every day, learning the offense, learning the scheme, and I'm excited for him. He's got a bright future ahead of him."
Jeudy certainly has a vested interest in the Browns' ongoing QB competition. In his first season in Cleveland, the former Alabama All-American had his most prolific season yet as a pro. He eclipsed 1000 receiving yards for the first time in his career, finishing the year with 1229 yards and four touchdowns.
He did that without consistent play at QB, forming a good rapport with Jameis Winston as time went on. With Winston now in New York, the Browns are searching for their starter among a quartet of contenders: veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, along with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Sanders.
The expectation remains that one of the veterans will be the team's starter at the beginning of the season. Flacco is trending due to the injury issues Pickett has gone through in Training Camp, which have limited his reps in practice.
Sanders is seeing increased reps with the second team in practice after being listed as the No. 4 QB on the depth chart last week. His performance has plenty of Browns fans calling for him to be the team's starter right away, though that may not be what's best for Sanders and his development.
This week, the Browns will have joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday with the Philadelphia Eagles, leading up to the team's second preseason game on Saturday in Philly. This will be another opportunity for Sanders to showcase his ability, this time against the reigning Super Bowl champions.